This invention relates generally to hand held devices and, more particularly, relates to a hand held device having a browser application.
Home appliances continue to become more complex, and for many consumers, more difficult to fully understand and operate. The first consumer electronic devices, radios and, later, televisions, had no remote controls. The controls of these first consumer electronic devices were simple—a combination power switch and volume control and a tuning control. With the advent of the remote control, new capabilities to control were added to consumer electronic devices—one of the first being the volume “Mute” feature.
New, and eventually popular, consumer electronic devices were later introduced, including the VCR, CD player and more recently, the DVD player and PVR (personal video recorder). While the VCR was initially introduced without a remote control, remote controls were quickly added to the product offering. Early VCR remote controls simply controlled the power and the transport mechanism (“Play,” “Stop,” “Pause,” “Rewind,” “Fast Forward” and “Record”). Today, VCR remote controls have far more controls, for example, to control the adjustment of tape tracking, the selection of programs for future recording, direct channel access, frame-by-frame program viewing and the ability to set the VCR's clock. For use in controlling these features the VCR remote control has grown from seven or eight keys to twenty or more.
The CD player, when first introduced, came with a remote control. The first CD players held a single disk and were easy to control. Today, a consumer can buy a CD player that holds two hundred or more disks. This CD “jukebox” permits the consumer to painstakingly enter the title of each disk by remote control and control which disk and track of that disk will play next. This remote control has also grown from ten keys or so to over thirty with many keys performing two or more functions.
Not only have the consumer electronic devices and their remote controls become more complex, but there are now many more devices that consumers are adding to their home that can be controlled using a remote control. In addition to the TV, VCR, CD player, and DVD player, remote controls can be used in connection with personal computers, game consoles, etc. Remote controls can also be used to control the lighting, window fixtures, thermostats, home alarm system, etc. within the home.
Universal remote controls available today perform a valuable function, consolidating three, four, five, and more remote controls into one device. Typically, the universal remote control simplifies operation by reducing the number of keys and, therefore, the number of features available to the consumer. With the same number of keys as found on one remote control, the universal remote control can operate the basic functions of several home appliances.
For companies that provide remote controls, home appliances continue their march toward even greater complexity. As new and more complex home appliances emerge, a new form of easy-to-use remote control will be required to meet the needs of consumers. To appeal to the largest number of consumers, this new form of remote control must also be inexpensive. Furthermore, to accommodate the continuing growth in complexity of home appliances, this new form of remote control must possess new features and include the ability to stay flexible.